Question

Living things use many strategies for producing offspring, but most strategies fall neatly into the categories of either sexual or asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction involves a single parent. It results in offspring that are genetically identical to each other and to the parent. All prokaryotes and some eukaryotes reproduce this way. Sexual reproduction involves two parents. During sexual reproduction, parents produce reproductive cells, called gametes, that unite to form an offspring. Gametes are haploid cells. This means they contain only half the number of chromosomes found in other cells of the organism. The chromosomes sort randomly during the process of meiosis, each gamete receiving half the chromosomes from each parent. Gametes are united during the process of fertilization. Either type of reproduction will result in the continuation of a species, but one method results in genetic variation as well. All BUT ONE is a reason why sexual reproduction better serves survival of the fittest and evolution of a species. A) Sexual reproduction increases the likelihood that a mutation might take place in an organism's DNA. B) Sexual reproduction may reduce the chances of inheriting a genetically inherited disease of condition. Eliminate C) Random assortment of chromosomes increases genetic variation. An organisms may get traits that aid in survival. D) Genetic variation may aid in removing undesirable traits or weakness from a population and therefore aids in natural selection.

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is C

Explanation:

In asexual reproduction method, the offspring generated is identical genetically to the parents. But this is not the case in sexual reproduction. The reason being that the gametes or sex cells produced has only one set of chromosomes and are therefore haploid after the process of meiosis. Meiosis is the process when the offspring formed has chromosomes from two parents and is not identical to the parent. Only certain characteristics are inherited by the offspring from both the parents and offspring has different set of characteristics.  

There is a process of assortment taking place inside the cell when the double set of chromosomes becomes one set in a gamete. Out of the pair of chromosomes, there is a random selection. Due to this random assortment, there is a genetic variation between the gametes as the gene alleles on the chromosome are not the same. This principle is said to be the Mendel’s first law of segregation.  

Another process of combining chromosomes is the crossing over during the meiosis stage which results in variety of chromosomes. We can say that recombination is possible.  

Hence, we can note that during assortment and crossing over, there is no chance for two offspring to be identical to the same mother or father with the exception of identical twins. In the case of identical twins, the genetically identical characteristics develops from same fertilized egg.  

From the above process, the structure of gene gets changed creating a variant that can get transmitted to next generation. The change is caused by altering the single base units of DNA or rearranging larger section of genes.  

Answer 2

Sexual reproduction increases the likelihood that a mutation might take place in an organism's DNA.